Wear-free accelerator pedal kick-down switch

Abstract

The present invention relates to an accelerator pedal for a motor vehicle, especially one with an automatic gearbox. The pedal includes a pedal arm which in one end area thereof is pivotally mounted about a pivoting axis and which in the other end thereof is provided with a pedal plate which can be impinged upon the force by the driver. When force is exerted upon the pedal plate, the pedal arm can be pivoted into an absolute final position when a kick down switch is actuated, wherein a signal can be produced by the kick down switch and can be fed to a control electronics system. The kick down switch comprises a permanent magnet, the magnet force thereof being used to retain a magnetically conducting component on a magnetic return element whereby the component can be moved away from the magnetic return element as a result of the movement of the pedal arm into an end position.

1. An accelerator pedal for use in a motor vehicle, said pedal comprising:
 a base plate, 
 a pedal arm having a first and second end, said first end being pivotably mounted to said base plate on a pivot axis, said second end comprising a pedal plate to which a vehicle driver force can be applied; 
 a spring mounted between said pedal arm and base plate, said spring providing resistance to depression of said pedal arm towards said base plate such that said pedal arm defines a rest position away from said base plate and an end position proximate to said base plate; 
 a kick down switch mounted proximate to said second end so as to extend away from said second end towards said base plate, said kick down switch comprising a force threshold and signal generating means arranged within said kick down switch such that when said force threshold is manually overcome, said signal generating means is activated thereby generating a signal, and said kick down switch further comprises a magnet, magnetically permeable component and a return element arranged such that a magnetic field generated by said magnet generates a holding force which holds said component to said return element and generates a counter force to said driver force, said holding force being overcome by movement of said pedal arm into said end position; and 
 a Hall element arranged between said return element and a radial collar part of a tappet, such that when said collar part is moved toward or away from said return element, said magnetic field influences said Hall element so as to change a signal in said Hall element thereby having a triggering effect. 
 
   
   
     2. The pedal according to  claim 1 , wherein said motor vehicle comprises an automatic transmission. 
   
   
     3. The pedal according to  claim 1 , wherein said magnetically permeable component is loaded against the return element via a spring force. 
   
   
     4. The pedal according to  claim 3 , wherein said magnetically permeable component is loaded against said return element by a permanently supported, prestressed compression spring. 
   
   
     5. The pedal according to  claim 4 , wherein said compression spring is a helical spring. 
   
   
     6. The pedal according to  claim 4 , characterized in that said compression spring is an elastomer block. 
   
   
     7. The pedal according to  claim 1 , further comprising said tappet having an end face which can be loaded so as to be axially displaceable by movement of said pedal arm, and the end of said tappet which is opposite to said end face comprises means for pressuring said magnetically permeable component so as to move the end of said tappet away from said return element. 
   
   
     8. The pedal as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said tappet is magnetically permeable. 
   
   
     9. The pedal according to  claim 7 , wherein said magnet is a ring magnet having a central opening through which said tappet is guided such that said end of said tappet which is opposite said end face pressures said magnetically permeable component. 
   
   
     10. The pedal according to  claim 7 , wherein said magnetically permeable component is a circular plate. 
   
   
     11. The pedal according to  claim 7 , wherein said tappet and magnetically permeable component are embodied in one piece. 
   
   
     12. The pedal according to  claim 1 , wherein said magnetically permeable component is attached to said tappet. 
   
   
     13. The pedal according to  claim 12 , wherein said magnetically permeable component comprises a guide pin which is guided in an axially displaceable fashion in a guide bore. 
   
   
     14. The pedal according to  claim 9 , wherein said magnetically permeable component comprises a guide pin which is guided in an axially displaceable fashion in a guide bore. 
   
   
     15. The pedal according to  claim 9 , wherein said return element comprises an annular body surrounding said ring magnet. 
   
   
     16. The pedal according to  claim 15 , wherein said annular return element comprises a ring slider part which, at a region of said tappet near to said end face, extends radially as far as said tappet, and said tappet is guided through said a central ring bore of said return element. 
   
   
     17. The pedal according to  claim 1 , wherein when said kick down switch is not activated, said magnetically permeable component abuts against an end of said return element which is remote from said pedal arm. 
   
   
     18. The pedal according to  claim 1 , wherein said kick-down switch is arranged on said pedal arm, and said magnetically permeable component may be pressured by said pedal arm when said arm is in a full throttle position against a fixed stop. 
   
   
     19. The pedal according to  claim 1 , wherein said when kick down switch is fixedly arranged and in a full throttle position, said magnetically permeable component may be pressured by said pedal arm. 
   
   
     20. The pedal according to  claim 1 , wherein said magnet is a permanent magnet. 
   
   
     21. The pedal according to  claim 1 , wherein said magnet is an electromagnet. 
   
   
     22. The pedal according to  claim 21 , wherein said electromagnet may be pressured by a variably sized coil current. 
   
   
     23. The pedal according to  claim 22 , wherein said coil current may be adjusted in a variable fashion as a function of a control state of an automatic transmission of said vehicle. 
   
   
     24. The pedal according to  claim 22 , wherein said coil current is variably adjustable as a function of a driving state of said motor vehicle. 
   
   
     25. The pedal according to  claim 24 , wherein said coil current may be adjusted as a function of travel speed of said motor vehicle.